One of my biggest struggles as a writer is coming up with attention-grabbing content. The main reason is that it seems like everything worth saying has already been said, several times. So, what more could I say? And, more importantly, why would anyone care? I spent several years debating these questions and, like all of life’s mysteries, I finally found the solution in the form of a book titled "Steal like an Artist" by Austin Kleon.
This book is a 10-step guide to “unlock your creativity.” Although it is, by no means, the Holy Grail for all of life’s creative woes, it’s full of tons of inspirational quotes, and Kleon gives a lot of great and practical advice that is useful to anyone struggling to find their creative voice.
Since I can’t list the entire book, I’ve narrowed it down four quotes that I find most useful.
1. Stop Trying to be "Original"
For the longest while, I believed that in order to be creative I had to be original; I had to do something no one has ever done or say something no one has ever said. So, instead of embracing influence, I shunned it; I didn’t want to be compared to anyone. I didn’t want to be an imitator. But one thing I’ve learned is that some of the greatest ideas come from embracing influence. When I say embracing influence, I don’t mean to steal someone else’s work. I mean to draw inspiration from their idea and then make it yours.
2. If You Want to be Creative, Be Creative!
I think this quote is pretty self-explanatory. But, just in case it's not, I'll sum it up in three words: Just do it! Whatever "it" is, Just do it! Don't wait for the stars to align or for everything to fall into place because you might be waiting around a very long time. So, if you are passionate about something, Just do it!
3. Share Your Work
In other words, don't hide your work. Criticism is hard, trust me, I know. But, criticism is also a great way to improve your craft. As creatives, we are slaves to our audience; what they think is literally essential to our success therefore, it's important to know beforehand whether or not you're producing great content. And, the only way to know for sure is to share your work!
4. Connect With Others
Connecting with others is a great way to network and get yourself out there. But, more importantly, it's a great source of information because you get the opportunity to associate with and learn from people who have similar interests. And, as Kleon says, if you pay attention to what others are sharing and not sharing, "you can be on the lookout for voids that you can fill with your own efforts."
Now, what are you waiting for? Go out and be creative!
